Since many people have questions before attending their first session, I'm providing answers to acquaint you with my practice and what we do here.

Q: Who will answer my phone call or email message?

A: I will personally respond to all phone calls and emails.

Q: What will my first appointment consist of?

A: Your first appointment will be a consultation visit lasting approximately 45 minutes. You and I will discuss what led you to come in, what you would like to get out of therapy, and why you chose to see me. At the end of the consultation I will propose a treatment plan for you.

Q: Do you take insurance?

A: I work with insurance companies as an out-of- network provider. It is a simple process and I will be happy to help you with it. First, contact your insurance company and inquire about your mental health "out-of-network benefits." Generally, insurance companies can reimburse anywhere from 50% to 100% percent depending on your plan and deductible. You will pay my fee upfront at the beginning of the session, using VISA, MC, check or cash. I will provide you with a receipt to submit to your provider for reimbursement.

Q: How long are all subsequent sessions?

A: Usually the following session is 45 minutes long, but some people opt for a double session of 90 minutes. Most patients attend sessions on a weekly basis, but others choose to attend sessions twice a week or every other week.

Q: How long will I need to be in therapy?

A: The length of your treatment depends on the issues that you need to address, how deeply you want to go, how profoundly you want to change and how committed you are to doing your homework. It is worth noting that some patients report feeling better after a few sessions. As you make progress you and I can discuss the option of maintenance sessions. These can be conducted monthly or even every other month and are designed to monitor the changes and continue the growth and progress you will have made.

A: Therapy is not a process that takes place solely during our time together. It is important that you transition what you learn in therapy to your everyday life. Therefore, we will decide on "homework" assignments that you can work on between sessions. Homework consists of activities such as reading assignments, tracking your moods, thoughts, behaviors, changing the way you communication with others and more. The homework is tailored to your unique goals.

Q: Is what I share with my therapist confidential?

A: Your confidentiality is protected by state law and by the rules of my profession. All information concerning patients is held confidential and is released only through procedures consistent with the law and professional ethics.

Q: What if I think I need to be evaluated for medications or I am already prescribed medications?

A: I am licensed and trained to practice psychology, not medicine. However, I often consult with physicians who prescribe medications to provide you with a medication consultation and/or continued medication management.

Q: How will I know if I'm getting better?

A: After our first session together we will identify the goals that you would like to accomplish during therapy. We will continue to measure your progress by evaluating these goals.

A: Yes. In my over thirty years of practice, I have sought out the most effective therapeutic modalities for all sorts of people and all sorts of issues. I work with couples and families using a systems approach. I have studied and practiced Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Therapy for many years. I will assess with you whether group therapy might be a powerful modality for life change for you. I use the 12 steps of AA with many kinds of addictions, recommending that clients supplement their therapy by attending 12 step meetings as well as group therapy with me. I also use hypnotherapy, past life regression, and other methods when requested by the client.

Q: What is your approach to couples therapy?

A: I particularly like to do couples therapy and group therapy. After receiving my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1974 and training for years in Transactional Analysis, I decided to do postgraduate work at the Family Institute of Chicago from 1978 to 1980, to increase my understanding of marriage and family therapy. Then in 1987 I attended a Couples in Crisis international conference in Rome, where I spent a week talking with marriage and family therapists from around the world. I developed a model of seeing couples every week or so, either as a couple or in a couples group, to explore what was happening in their relationship and to suggest changes they could make, monitoring these changes each time they came in. The deeper issues in couples therapy usually stem from patterns learned in their family of origin. I invite each member of a couple to work through their family of origin issues in a separate weekly group. Then we discuss how those issues come into their marriage when I see them together.